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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24917869">By The Truth of My Right Hand</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/aphoticdepths/pseuds/aphoticdepths'>aphoticdepths</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ficlet, Inspired by Twitter, Kissing, Light Angst, Loyalty, M/M, Oaths &amp; Vows, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), swearing fealty</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:42:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>889</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24917869</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/aphoticdepths/pseuds/aphoticdepths</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dedue insists he cannot be a knight, and Dimitri knows he is no weapon. But he can still be Dimitri's man.</p><p>(inspired by the INCREDIBLE INFORMATION in this tweet https://twitter.com/mxfotia/status/1275657297667198976)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Dedue Molinaro</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>By The Truth of My Right Hand</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I think this is actually the only way I can see them getting to first base without dissolving into mutual apologies for thinking to violate each other like that.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dimitri's eye were clearer than it had been before, and Dedue was glad of that, but he was diminished. His skin was bloodlessly pale, stretched tightly over the jutting bones of his face. In his madness, he had seemed more grounded in reality-without bloodthirst and filth to animate him, he seemed frail. Dedue could do nothing to help him. It was hard to contain his impulse to reach out to him, to steady him and to reassure himself that he was real.</p><p>"Dedue." His voice sounded like it had before the war, almost-more of a tremble, a layer of hoarseness that had not been there before. "I..." He raised a hand to his head. "I have not been worthy of your loyalty."</p><p>"Never."</p><p>Dimitri did not respond, but Dedue could see the sorrow in his eyes, the shame. They had trod this road enough times that Dedue no longer explained. His words were unable to help Dimitri-too clumsy, too simple, too intimidating. He sighed. "...I won't challenge you on that, then." Though everything in his face and posture did. "But I would have your words."</p><p>Dedue frowned. </p><p>"An oath of fealty," the king continued. "Not...not to bind you to me. For me to bind myself to you. That I may swear that you will be my knight, my sword and my shield, and that I will not fail you again as I have before." He gave a small smile, one of his ones that was for politeness's sake. "If I could, I would have knelt before you and sworn <em>my</em> oath. But I have been informed that such is unacceptable for a king."</p><p>"I can't. You know that." Dedue was not a knight, and could never be. Such was the law-no man of Duscur could take a knight's vows.</p><p>"You can, I know it. It's-I did this with others." That hurt at first, and then Dedue chastised himself. That was ridiculous. Dimitri was a king, with many warriors around him more deserving of the honor than he. What right did Dedue have to be jealous of a man he knew he could not hope to be any closer to than a warrior? "Constance, Raphael, even Shamir-the king can change the laws. We need to get rid of the traditions that chain us. You have every right to be a knight-your heart is truer and braver than any knight I have known. Let me offer your loyalty what it deserves."</p><p>"They are different. A woman becoming a knight, a commoner of another nation, even a Dagdan-Fearghus knows no history with Dagda. Knighting me will only condemn you in the eyes of your people. To them, I have killed your father. You will be no less mad. I am already loyal to you, you know this-"</p><p>"I know! But I want to <em>honor</em> you. I want to thank you. I want to swear to you that I will not hurt you again. And as it is-to be what we are-we are too far apart, Dedue. I do not want you to be my servant. I want you to be-"</p><p>"I am not your equal." He could never be, but even as he spoke the words and knew he was telling him the truth a part of him hurt at the pain that flashed across Dimitri's face.</p><p>"You may not be my equal, but you're not servant, not a weapon. You are-" He paused.</p><p>"No knight."</p><p>Again, the pain on Dimitri's face, sharp and painful to him as well.</p><p>"You need no vow," Dedue continued. "I am already loyal to you. I would die for you, I would kill for you. But, if you wish it, I am yours." He went down to one knee. "Words are not easy for me. And less..." Even in the tongue of Duscur, he would have had trouble explaining what Dimitri meant to him, how far he would go for him. In a foreign language, even one he had grown up speaking, it was harder. "I cannot say it properly. But I would follow you anywhere." To say anything more would be unacceptable. Dimitri reached for his sword, and Dedue raised his head. "No."</p><p>Dimitri closed his eye. "...I understand, then." He opened it again, clear as the sky as he reached out and put his hand over Dedue's. "Dedue. You have saved my life, you have shown me a loyalty and care that I do not deserve. I swear to you that I will protect you, that I will change the way the Kingdom treats you, your country, and your people. I will no longer fail you. I will return to you the strength and loyalty that you give to me. I will do all that is in my power to be a man worthy of the faith you put in me-to be a man worthy of <em>you</em>, and your oath. As you swear to me, so do I swear to you." He paused, and swallowed. "...If you will not be dubbed a knight, there is an older way to seal an oath. Would you permit it?"</p><p>"If you wish it, your majesty."</p><p>"It is not because I wish it. Would <em>you</em> permit it, Dedue? Of your own will?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>Dimitri leaned down, gauntleted hand still on his, and brought his lips to Dedue's.</p>
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